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Tornado outbreak of December 1-3, 2019
the Tornado outbreak of December 1-3, 2019 'was a unusual and very prolific late-season tornado outbreak which struck the upper Midwest and Great Lakes region during early December in 2019. The outbreak was the result of a strong frontal system moving eastward through the region, in combination with moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and warmer air from the southeast, as well as cool air from the north. This combined to create strong to severe thunderstorms in the Dakotas on November 30, and as they moved into the Great Lakes region the following morning, the storms became tornadic. In total 131 tornadoes touched down, including several EF4 tornadoes. The worst effected states were Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Michigan, with Ontario also having several strong tornadoes. Just a week later, the Midwest would see record cold temperatures, slowing recovery efforts. Meteorological history ''Also see: List of tornadoes in the Tornado outbreak of December 1-3, 2019 In late November, a unusually late season heat wave impacted the Midwestern United States, Indianapolis saw a record high for that month of 90 degrees, shattering the previous record high of 79 degrees there by 11 degrees. This left a unstable environment in that region. Meanwhile, a late season storm in the Pacific's remnants made landfall in the northwest, and soon it's remnants emerged into a frontal system. As the frontal system would interact with favorable conditions for severe weather, particularly temperatures upwards of 75°F in parts of South Dakota, severe thunderstorms developed on November 30. The SPC had already issued a Day 2 Moderate Risk for much of the lower Great Lakes and upper Midwest, as well as a Day 1 Enhanced Risk in the Dakotas. As the storms moved southeast, on December 1, the SPC issued a High Risk for northern Illinois and Indiana, as strong wind shear, warm temperatures, high dew points and the frontal system were forecast to combine to form a potentially dangerous tornado outbreak. Supercells would develop late that morning, and move through the High Risk area. In total, 102 of the 131 tornadoes touched down on December 1, making it the most active tornado day ever recorded in the month of December. As the system moved northeast, a Enhanced Risk was issued on December 2 for much of Indiana, Ohio and Michigan, with Environment Canada issuing a tornado watch for southern Ontario, another 17 tornadoes would touch down that day, including a EF4 in Coldwater, Michigan, which would kill 28 people. As well as a EF4 in Windsor, Ontario, which would kill 2 people. On December 3, a Slight Risk was issued for northern Ohio and northern Pennsylvania, as well as a tornado watch for southern Ontario. 12 more tornadoes would touch down on December 3, including a EF3 near Erie, Pennsylvania. The storms would enter a less favorable atmosphere, limiting severe activity on December 4 to sporadic large hail and damaging wind events across the northeast, and the storm moved off shore on December 5. Notable tornadoes 'December 1 -' Freeport, Illinois As severe thunderstorms tracked through a favorable environment across northern Illinois, one of the cells developed strong rotation around 11:30 am on December 1 near Freeport, Illinois, a funnel cloud was reported at 11:36 am, and a tornado touched down at 11:38 am. The tornado quickly tracked southeast towards Freeport as a EF1, and began intensifying, EF2 damage was first documented just northwest of Freeport, with a time estimated around 11:45 am. It then moved into Freeport as a high-end EF2, before intensifying into a low-end EF3 as it moved through the center of Freeport, prompting a tornado emergency. The tornado would have several documented areas of potential EF4 damage as it moved through southeast Freeport, the tornado would lift at 12:04 pm as the storm weakened. Shabbona, Illinois As the supercell that had previously produced the Freeport tornado re-intensified, it produced another funnel cloud at 12:51 pm about 8 miles west of Shabbona, by this time the storm had stuck to a east southeast. At 12:56 pm, a tornado touchdown was confirmed 6 miles west of Shabbona. The tornado intensified into a EF1 as it moved east towards Shabbona at 12:59 pm, before rapidly intensifying into a violent low-end EF4 cone tornado on the outskirts of Shabbona, it moved into town at 1:07 pm, reportedly heavily damaging trees and throwing cars "as if they were toys". The first death of the outbreak occurred in Shabbona when a car was thrown into a house, the tornado would continue to intensify, causing moderate to extreme damage in the center of Shabbona, with some house debris and a car reportedly thrown as far as Shabbona Grove, about 4 miles to the south of Shabbona, with a receipt from Shabbona reportedly thrown as far as Creston, in northwestern Indiana. A tornado emergency was issued for Shabbona and surrounding areas at 1:10 pm as the tornado moved through the eastern edge of town. The most intense damage occurred just outside of Shabbona, where houses sustained high-end EF4 damage, with ground scorching suggesting possible EF5 intensity. Several foundations were damaged by the tornado as it moved east, the tornado began weakening at 1:17 pm, with another tornado emergency being issued for Hinckley and Franks at 1:19 pm as the tornado moved east southeast, slowly weakening, now a high-end EF2. The tornado's last area of strong tornado damage occurred at 1:21 pm at Kauffman Turkey Farms, along Leland Road, where a silo sustained low-end EF2 damage, suggesting winds of 115 mph. The tornado from there gradually weakened, with the last pocket of EF1 damage being at 1:29 pm. The tornado lifted at 1:31 pm. The tornado would be rated a low-end EF5 with winds of 210 mph on December 4, before being downgraded on December 6 to a high-end EF4 with winds of 185 mph. Peotone, Illinois-Crown Point, Indiana See main article here: 2019 Petone, Illinois-Crown Point, Indiana tornado A long-tracked, heavily rain wrapped and deadly low-end EF4 tornado tracked through northeastern Illinois and northwestern Indiana for a hour and 12 minutes on December 1, 2019. The tornado was part of a weaker supercell that entered a pool of instability around 1930Z while moving northeast, most storm chasers avoided the cell as it was a high precipitation supercell, and also did not anticipate for it to drop any strong tornadoes. At 2026Z, a tornado touched down just southwest of Peotone, Illinois while tracking northeast. The tornado struck Peotone at 2035Z, causing significant damage, later estimated to be high-end EF2. 2 people were killed in Peotone when the tornado threw their car into a ditch, spotters confirmed a large wedge, heavily-rain wrapped tornado at 2040Z nearing Beecher, Illinois. The National Weather Service in Chicago, concerned that the tornado could take a northward turn into the southern Chicago suburbs, issued a tornado emergency for the southern Chicago suburbs, Gary, Beecher and Cedar Lake at 2042Z. The tornado moved into Beecher at 2051Z, killing another person and causing widespread extreme damage, with several pockets of EF4 damage in the city. The tornado crossed the Indiana state line at 2107Z at nearly a mile wide, causing extreme damage to Brunswick, Indiana at 2113Z, before starting to weaken as it impacted the northern half of Cedar Lake. It continued into Crown Point as a high-end EF2, killing another person before it lifted at 2138Z. Montpelier, Indiana A large EF2 tornado touched down over a field near Montpelier, in northern Blackford County, Indiana at 2155Z. The tornado quickly intensified, taking advantage of the strong instability, as the main cells had not yet reached the area, however, the cooler 65-70 degree weather limited the tornado from becoming catastrophic, the tornado quickly moved east, warranting a tornado emergency for Montpelier at 2158Z. The strong tornado moved through the southern half of Montpelier, causing widespread EF1-EF2 damage, killed 137 cows and seriously injured a farmer. The farm that suffered the death of 137 cows had previously lost all of it's cattle in a EF3 tornado on May 27, 2019. The tornado was rated a low-end EF2 due to damage caused to the main farm structure, and isolated patches of EF2 damage to structures in Montpelier. The tornado lifted at 2206. Shoreham, Michigan As a line of intense tornadic thunderstorms moved onshore Lake Michigan into southern lower Michigan, a waterspout moved onshore just south of Shoreham, Michigan, the waterspout had touched down at 2201, and moved onshore at 2203 as a probable EF1 tornado, it moved inland, gradually intensifying into a low-end EF3 tornado as it moved through the southeastern edge of Shoreham at 2207, there had been no tornado warning issued on the storm and the area was only under a severe thunderstorm warning when the tornado reached peak intensity at 2208, before a tornado warning was issued at 2210. Many houses sustained moderate damage, with some houses sustaining damage suggesting winds of 135-140 mph, or low-end EF3. Berrien County would be placed under a state of emergency due to flash flooding and the tornado damage in Shoreham. The storm also produced a EF1 over St. Joesph, the county seat of Berrien County. The tornado was initially rated EF2 with winds of 125 mph, before being upgraded to a EF3 with winds of 140 mph, with a final wind speed of 135 mph being agreed upon in late December. The tornado also originally was considered two tornadoes, a high-end EF1 with winds of 105 mph, and a low-end EF2 with winds of 115 mph, many dispute that the tornado was only one tornado, with many assigning the tornado it's original rating of a 125 mph EF2, and maintaining the first tornado as a 120 mph EF2. This was the second ever tornado confirmed in the month of December in Michigan, and the only strong one. However, several more tornadoes would touch down the next day in Michigan, including several more strong and 2 violent tornadoes. Westville, Indiana As the southern edge of a complex of tornadic thunderstorms moved into northern Indiana, a tornado touched down at 2221 near Westville, due south of Michigan City. The tornado moved northeast, causing EF0-1 damage to many houses on the outskirts of Westville, several houses received EF2 damage around 2224 south of Westville, leading to a low-end EF2 rating. The tornado began to weaken around 2226, and lifted at 2227. The tornado was originally rated a EF1 with winds of 105 mph, before receiving a final rating of EF2 with winds of 115 mph. The area was placed under a state of emergency due to the tornado. Delphi, Indiana As a intense bow echo developed in west central Indiana, a strong and quick-moving QLCS tornado impacted Delphi, as one of the many tornadoes this squall line would produce. Only a few SKYWARN spotters tracked the tornado before it directly struck Delphi at 2250. The quick-moving and strong tornado caused significant damage in the main portion of Delphi, with several houses losing their roofs, the tornado was moderately rain-wrapped when it struck Delphi at 2250. The tornado was assigned a EF3 rating due to damage in the center of Delphi. The tornado lifted just outside of Delphi at 2253. Arcadia-Omega, Indiana As the QLCS continued east, at 2317, a supercell ahead of the line produced a tornado near Arcadia in northeastern Hamilton County. It was first confirmed via dash-cam at about 2319 as it crossed Gwinn Road. The tornado moved at forward speeds of as high as 92 mph, making it one of the fastest moving tornadoes on record. The tornado entered Arcadia at 2322 moving at roughly 85-90 mph northeast, it caused significant EF2-EF3 damage in Arcadia as the very fast moving tornado moved out of Arcadia at 2324. The tornado struck F & M Car Locomotive at roughly 2328, causing the worst damage of the tornado, with winds possibly as high as 145 mph. The tornado entered the tiny town of Omega at 2331, causing significant damage to every structure in the town, before it ultimately tracked northeast, lifting just northeast of the Tipton County line at 2339. The NWS in Indianapolis stated this as a possible EF5, as the tornado was so fast moving that it likely did peak with winds of roughly 220 mph (or EF5 intensity), however it was moving so fast that it could only cause damage consistent of 140-145 mph (or EF3 intensity). Converse, Indiana As a violent supercell tracked east through north central Indiana, it produced a tornado at 2358. The tornado quickly tracked southeast, moving at a forward speed of 51 mph. The tornado proceeded to cause significant damage in Converse around 0004, with some damage suggesting winds as high as 190 mph. Several houses were heavily damaged with high-end EF3 to low-end EF4 damage possible. The tornado proceeded to cause significant damage to various structures in northwestern Grant County until it lifted at 0013. The tornado was rated a EF4 with winds of 170 mph due to damage in Converse. It was also the final violent tornado of the daytime hours of December 1. Norris City, Illinois The furthest south violent tornado of the outbreak, the Norris City tornado was the final violent tornado of December 1st. The tornado touched down at 0216 about 5 miles southwest of Norris City. The tornado moved northeast, causing EF0-EF1 damage to houses southwest of Norris City. From there, it moved towards the town, entering the town causing EF2-EF3 damage. A row of houses sustained low-end EF4 damage from the cone tornado, where two deaths occurred. The tornado then moved northeast, exiting the town of 0228. It struck 2 more houses before lifting at 0235. 'December 2 -' '''THIS IS A WORK-IN PROGRESS!Category:Outbreaks Category:Deadly Outbreaks Category:Midwestern Outbreaks